So today I was having a coffee and a smoke with my roommate Chris. She is a big Habs fan: which is ok by me, since the Bleu Blanc Rouge was a favorite of my late uncle and the team my father grew up watching. Plus they are kind of famous and the only team with as rich a history as the Oil (excuse me Bruins, Detroit, & Islander fans; but lets be realistic). Then I had this idea, stolen from the Genisus over at Copper & Blue, and do a position-by-position comparison between my two ‘favourite’ teams.

We are going to start with the defense or a couple reasons: it is what Derek did in his comparison; I love defense; and to get the disappointment out of the way early. So here is the list of Right Defense.

Montreal

Oilers

PK Subban (0.875)

Tom Gilbert (4.0)

Josh Georges (2.5)

Cam Barker (2.25)

Jaroslav Spacek (3.833)

Andy Sutton (2.125)

Total: 7.208 – 2.403 per player

Total: 8.375 – 2.792 per player

OK, this is embarrassing . . . I hope that Chris does not read this blog since this should give her enough ammunition to make fun of me for weeks if not years. First of all, the Oilers only have one actual right defenseman on this list (the other two are left defense masquerading as being able to play their off side: I am betting $25 that at least one of Baker or Sutton cannot not). The second is that we are spending more per player (than Montreal) in our biggest position of weakness; even if you switch Petry with Sutton, Montreal still spends less and they have an awfully expensive 3rd pairing option. If you look just at skill (and not money), Montreal has the two best players out of the six—Subban & Georges. Gilbert comes in a distance third, but I think Jarolslav ‘Old Bones’ Spacek is still more dependable than either of Barker or Sutton. This is just Gross . . .

This is getting a little better but still not all that great. I did kinda cherry-pick the left defenseman which make the Oilers look the best, but it is also since these are the players I would pencil in as starting the season (if everyone is healthy) on the port-side. OK, at least the Oilers are spending less money than the Habs, but the Oil also have the worst of the players. Markov is the best of the six players, but Whitney is the next best—by a significant margin—both of these players have severe health risks and I would doubt that both of them play more than 50 games. Gill is more dependable than Smid: again it goes to the Habs. Yemelin has far more upside than Teddy Peck-Man, and the difference in money is so little that Montreal wins this match up again. Overall, the three players from La Belle Province are superior and come in at a reasonable price tag . . . Montreal wins this position again.

Yannick Weber (0.85)

Taylor Chorney (0.735)

Jeff Woywitka (0.65)

Jeff Petry (1.0)

Total: 1.5 – 0.75 per player

Total: 1.735 – 0.868 per player

I have chosen to go with two depth defenders since that is what Derek did in his comparison—also both should play significant amount of games with their respective clubs. To be honest, I think this is about even; both have one good young puck moving Dman (Petry & Weber) at a reasonable price and a tweener (Chorney & Woywitka) that should clear waivers. Maybe Montreal should win this one since they have done this at a better price but lets go with a tie (since I love the Oilers and I love defensemen).

Tomas Plekanec (5.0)

Shawn Horcoff (5.5)

Lars Eller (1.271)

Sam Gagner (2.275)

Scott Gomez (7.357)

Eric Belanger (1.75)

David Desharnais (0.85)

The Nuge (3.775)

Total: 14.478 – 3.62 per player

Total: 13.3 – 3.325 per player

This category is a little harder to do because the depth charts are fucked up. Not the good kind of Fucked Up, but the kind that makes my life harder. Lets start by saying Montreal has the best all around centre in Plekanec . . . his turtleneck power has turned him into a wonderous two-way centre at a reasonable contract (the player that the Oilers were hoping Horcoff would be during the first three years of his giant contract). I would say that the Oilers have the best PKing and faceoff centre in Belanger. Horcoff and Gomez both have a ‘washed-up’ label attached to them after last seasons, but Horcoff is a lot cheaper, so the Oilers win that one. Gagner has more experience than Larry and that should give the Oilers the edge in young offensive centres. The Nuge is just a wild card (could play the season with the Oil, maybe not; could be the best centre on this list in two years but who knows). Desharnais is a filling a spot but is really a tweener. I am going to give this category to the Oilers but by a slim margin: the Oil spend slightly less at this position; they have the best defensive centre; their old man is cheaper and had a better season last year; and the Nuge pushes them over the edge.

Brian Gionta (5.0)

Ales Hemsky (4.1)

Eric Cole (4.5)

Jordan Eberle (1.158)

Andrei Kostitsyn (3.25)

Linus Omark (0.875)

Travis Moen (1.5)

Ryan Jones (1.5)

Total: 14.25 – 3.563 per player

Total: 7.633 – 1.908 per player

Lets start on the fourth line, Moen and Jones have the same amount of money, but one of them is a proven veteran and is better defensively . . . cough, Moen, cough. Returning to the top of the depth chart, Montreal’s Gionta looks better than Hemsky; mainly on ability to stay healthly because I think they both are dynamic game changers. The middle two lines is interesting; Cole & Kostitsyn are more proven players (what ever that means vis-à-vis AK-47) than Eberle and Omark, but I think both pairs have the same amount of offensive ability (all of them) and defensive acumen (with Eberle and Cole having ability and the other two are kind of a liability). Edmonton might win the middle depth based on the price and age of their pair (but that is a big IF). I would go with a tie at right-wing, but at the end of the season Edmonton could be the winner based on price and Montreal could be the winner based on veteran consistency.

Mike Camalleri (6.0)

Taylor Hall (3.75)

Max Pacioretty (1.625)

Ryan Smyth (6.25)

Matheiu Darche (0.7)

Magnus Paajarvi (1.525)

Ryan White (0.625)

Ben Eager (1.1)

Total: 8.95 – 2.238 per player

Total: 12.625 – 3.156 per player

As starboard-side forwards go, Montreal has the best one as of right now: Camallari. I would think that in a few years Hall will be a better offensive star but that is at least one more year away. The Oilers have better depth—especially in the veteran Smyth, who can play both of the special teams and take on tough competition while keeping his head above water. Paajarvi and Pacioretty have the roughly same money and, I would think, have the same boxcars this season (but the Swede-Fin should be better in the long run). Montreal gets advantage in the fourthliners, only, cause they are spending less (& Darche is more defensively responsible than Eager). The Oilers win the Truculence category (if that counts for anything). Overall, the Oilers win this position with more offensive depth and more youth, but they are paying for it against the cap.

Brock Trotter (0.55)

Darcy Hordichuk (0.875)

Andreas Engqvist (0.9)

Gilbert Brule (1.85)

Total: 1.45 – 0.725 per player

Total: 2.725 – 1.363 per player

Now to the depth forwards . . . I really had little idea of who should be the Habs’ depth. I when with Trotter since that is most folks choice and then rounded it out with Engqvist. Trotter is a tweener (with a little, and I mean he is little, KHL experience) while Brule is a former lottery pick that had a shitty year . . . Oilers win that one because of potential. Hordichuk has a specific role (smashing people) while Engqvist is a better ‘hockey’ player . . . I would count that as a tie since Hordichuk is going to get reps and Engqvist is a mystery to me. The price points is clearly on the side of Montreal since they are not going to have bags of money in the press box. Overall I am going with a tie (Brule > Trotter, Hordichuk = Engqvist, 1.45 million > 2.725 million).

Carey Price (2.75)

Devan Dubnyk (0.8)

Peter Budaj (1.15)

The Boozen’ Wall (3.75)

Total: 3.9 – 1.95 per player

Total: 4.55 – 2.275 per player

So, now it comes to the position that most people think is the Oilers’ weakest position. I think it is right defenseman since the Oilers have at least two goaltenders signed (which is one more player in their natural position that the starboard side of the blue). We can say that the Oilers’ starter is cheaper than Montreal’s, but who would rather start Dubnyk over Price. Budaj is a crappy player—Chris was screaming at the TV on free agency day—but he is still better that the old Russian in blue and orange silks this season. Most embarrassing is the cost of the Oilers ineffective duo . . . we spend 0.65 million dollars more than the Habs and they have a starting goaltender (which we do not have) . . . Montreal clear win.

1 comment:

you know it's a scary sort of comparison when someone has a more expensive cap-hit than horcoff and be labelled in the same category. I am not saying this as a knock against either player, as I happen to like both of them very much, but one would hope for a better boxcar/dollar spent ratio out of each player to say the least...